What to Cook Now: Pears

Recipes and tips for the season's best ingredients

B
iting into a sweet, juicy pear brings a burst of pure autumn. Popular cooking methods include poaching (in wine, syrup, fruit juice, water) and baking. Pears shine in baked goods like tarts, pies, and cakes, as well as in jams, preserves, and chutneys. And because they are related to apples, it's generally understood that if a recipe calls for apples, pears can be substituted. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger complement the fruit in both edible and drinkable recipes. We've assembled recipes to help you incorporate the season's harvest into your meals.

Choose pears that are firm to the touch and don't have bruises or cuts. Some pears are wrapped in paper, which protects the pears and helps keep them unblemished.

Brown Bag It

Pears will ripen off the tree. To ripen them at home, put hard fruit in a punctured paper bag and keep it at room temperature until the fruit is aromatic and gives slightly when pressed with your thumb. But beware: Pears ripen very quickly. Overripe pears are pulpy and the flesh will be mealy.

Peel First

Peel pears before cooking them, as their skin grows tough when heated.

Use Lemon

Prevent premature browning by dipping cut pears in acidulated water (water mixed with a little lemon juice or vinegar). This works on European pears such as the Bartlett and Comice but not on Asian pears.